


Fallen Keeper

by satisfyingbliss



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Fluff, Humor, Inspired by Goblin (K-drama), M/M, Pining, Scared Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej & Sara Rubin Friendship, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Theres a lot going on, cant spoil everything, i will add tags on the go, or at least i tried to be funny, possibly will go explicit later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-04-14 04:24:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14127990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satisfyingbliss/pseuds/satisfyingbliss
Summary: Every life is touched by a deity at least once. Just when you’re drifting away from this world, if someone nudges you back in the right direction, that’d be when the deity chooses to visit you.Shane and Ryan get more than they bargained for after one faithful visit to a haunted house.





	1. Method In Madness

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily influenced by Goblin: The Lonely and Great God. I'm sorry in advance.
> 
> This is my first lengthy fic ever so please go easy on me.  
> Feel free to message me on my [tumblr](http://wheezboys.tumblr.com//) if you want to chat about this fic or anything else.
> 
> I'd love to know how you liked it, and _if _you liked it! Unless it didn't leave enough of an impression and wasn't worth commenting, which is fine as well. I know my writing isn't top notch, but I'm trying to get back into the game since I haven't written in a long time.__

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> G-g-ghost crisis

Ryan opened his eyes, slowly blinking as his brain processed the image of his surroundings. It was dark so it must have been late, or early. One part of the room was weakly illuminated by the street light coming in through the curtains, giving enough light so he could see the outlines of the furniture. His mouth was dry and his head hurt, so he leaned against the headrest with a grunt. The clock to his right told him it was 3 in the morning. Again. 

He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes before running a hand over his face. His body was tired and weak from exhaustion and his mind was in no better state. It's been three days now, half a week of barely sleeping. If he had to count, he probably slept less than 10 hours in these past three days. Sleep deprivation and overworking were both familiar to him as he did trade sleep for work many times before, but this was just too much. He was restless, and even if he did manage to fall asleep his body would wake up at 3AM like it was on a clock. 

This pattern was getting suspicious. 3AM is the witching hour, he was drained of his energy more than usual, and there was a strange sort of feeling he would experience every time he came home. There were many times when he thought that something might have attached itself to him during shooting at haunted places but that's crazy, right? It's crazy to think something actually attached itself to him... 

He hastily picked up his glasses from the nightstand, put them on and pulled his laptop on top of himself. As the laptop came to life, he rushed to open the search and typed in ''side effects of having a ghost attached to you''. Now he felt stupid for not doing this before and denying it completely for days. 

Spirits and entities attach themselves to a person, draining them of energy until they become weak enough to be possessed. Symptoms of attachment or possession are many but what stirred Ryan up was that sleep deprivation, loss of appetite, isolation and mood swings were on the list. All of this could be due to exhaustion as well, right? Right. This was stupid. It was stupid to google such things in the dead of the night. 

He closed his laptop, suddenly plunging himself back into the darkness of the room, and it has never felt this eerie. It was quiet, there were no sounds coming from outside, only the sound of his breathing audible. The door to his living room was open, he could barely see the outline of it, and everything past it was complete darkness. He stared into it and what usually felt like loneliness now gave him a shiver down his spine. His body tensed up, his eyes hopelessly searched, trying to focus onto something in the darkness. 

He knew his brain would fill up the void, make him see something, but that doesn't explain the feeling of being watched. It seemed like the darkness shifted and moved, he couldn't see it but he could feel it. Like there was something there. 

''Fucking hell!'' Ryan jumped, his heart skipping too many beats. 

The phone on his nightstand buzzed, pulling him back to the present. 

Long Legs: You up? 

He grabbed his phone and replied instantly, forgetting about the uneasy feeling he had. 

Ry Guy: Yeah 

Long Legs: Can't sleep? 

Ry Guy is typing...

_No, I..._

He stopped mid sentence, realizing the time on his phone read 3:30. It was around 3:10 when he decided to close his laptop. There is no way 20 minutes passed since then. 

Ryan deleted whatever he was typing and wrote a new message. 

Ry Guy: Do you ever feel like time passes faster or slower than you think it does? 

Long Legs: Occasionally, I guess. 

Ry Guy: But do you ever feel like it's been 5 minutes but it turns out it's been almost half an hour. 

Long Legs: Every time I take a nap. 

Ry Guy: I'm serious. 

Long Legs: Not really. Why do you ask? 

Ry Guy: Never mind, I just had a thought. 

A few minutes pass and there is no reply. 

Ry Guy: Shane? 

Long Legs: Yeah? Sorry, I dozed off for a second. 

Ry Guy: Oh, sorry if I kept you up. 

Long Legs: Dumbass, I texted you first. Tell me, what's wrong. 

Ry Guy: It's nothing, don't worry about it. 

Long Legs: Telling me not to worry won't help. Spill.

Ry Guy is typing...

Ry Guy: I think I'm being haunted by a ghost. 

Long Legs: I'm a demon. 

Ry Guy: What? 

Long Legs: I thought we were saying stupid stuff. 

Ry Guy: You dick. 

Long Legs: I don't know. That's a weird thing to say, even coming from you. I think you just need a few days off. 

Ry Guy: You're right... That is weird even coming from me. I mean, what are the odds that a ghost is haunting me when we can't even get footage that you will acknowledge as proof. Right?

He chuckled to himself, thinking how stupid it was of him to think that a ghost is haunting his ass. Just this one time he was thankful for his friend's rational way of thinking. 

Long Legs: You will never get footage because ghosts are most definitely not real. 

Ry Guy: Don't push it 

Long Legs: Good night, Ry! 

Ry Guy: Good night 

Ryan sighed and put his phone on the nightstand. Shane was right, he needed to get away from everything for a few days. 

 

 

~ 

 

 

''Hey! I'm back.'' Ryan exclaimed as he entered their office at Buzzfeed, a bright smile on his face. 

''Hey, there!'' Shane spun around in his seat to face Ryan, placing his headphones to rest around his neck, ''I see you look much better than before. How do you feel?'' 

''Great, actually.'' he sat in his chair next to Shane's. 

The other man eyed him for a second, ''You're as happy as if you caught a ghost on camera.'' 

Ryan laughed breathily, ''Yeah, well, I haven't been  _that_  lucky.'' 

He hummed in response, ''I see... Anyway, I checked your place while you were gone.'' 

''You what?'' Ryan looked at him. 

He sounded surprised but he grinned, following it with a giggle. 

''I even checked under the bed! No ghosties anywhere.'' Shane continued, flailing his arms around in a comical manner. 

The other man laughed, slapping his hand on the table, ''I can't... I can't believe you did that.'' 

''Had to make sure you won't get another 'ghosts are on my ass' crisis.'' Shane pushed on with the gimmick, imitating Ryan's voice and giving his best impression of the man's scared expression. 

Ryan tilted his head to the side, scrunching his features, ''Thanks?'', a thin confused but genuine smile on his face. 

''No problem.'' Shane winked at him. 

The taller man placed the headphones over his head and turned back to his work. Ryan looked to his monitor as well, chuckling. 

He couldn't help from glancing at Shane every now and then. A week of vacation was everything he needed but it felt good to be back. 

 

 

Later that day they went for lunch during which Ryan brought up Unsolved and their next shooting location while Shane just nodded at everything with mouthfuls of food. He talked fast even over the food that was stuffed inside his mouth, his eyes sparkling with excitement. 

Shane laughed, ''Slow down, buddy.'' 

''Sorry.'', the smaller man took another spoonful of food from his plate, ''I'm just very hopeful about this place. I mean, yes, it's going to be awful to go in there,'', he said while chewing, then swallowed, '' but I really think we will get some seriously compelling evidence.'' 

''I-I don't think so.'' Shane shook his head with a smile. 

''I don't care what you think.'' Ryan shot out, ''This will be a win for the boogaras, for sure.'', he oozed with confidence, a sly grin appearing on his face. 

''When you put it that way... Yeah, you could use a win.'' 

Ryan glared at Shane while the other man laughed at the reaction, earning him a punch to the shoulder.  

 

 

Calling it a day and going home was something he was somewhat afraid of but he didn't dread it as he thought he would. His steps towards the apartment door were hesitant. He rolled the keys in his hand, trying to fish out the right one. 

''You got this.'' Ryan said under his breath as he pressed the key into the keyhole, turning it slowly before pushing the door forward. 

It wasn't as dark inside, some light seeped through the curtains but it was also something else. He entered and threw the keys onto the shelf next to him while he pulled the sneakers from his feet with swift movement that didn't requiring hands. 

''Huh...'' he took of his jacket and put it on the sofa along with his bag before opening a window to let some air in. 

It felt... normal. He expected it to feel something, anything. But it was just that. Normal. He smiled with satisfaction before putting some popcorn in the microwave and slouching down on the couch, Netflix already suggesting him to finish his last episode of Stranger Things. 

One and a half episodes later and sleep started to take over so he decided on going to bed a bit earlier than usual. 

''Don't forget the charger. Not again.'' He said to himself, toothbrush in hand, mercilessly running circles over his teeth. 

His eyes were focused on the reflection of the wall behind him. He leaned down and spat, then drank some water and gurgled it before spitting that as well. His toothbrush fell into its designated cup as he turned around and left, switching the light off. 

Sometimes he got a weird feeling when he was in the dark, even if it was in his own bedroom. In these moments he would fasten his pace towards the bed, get in quickly and pull the covers completely over himself. But it wasn't always a strong feeling and he wouldn't notice it until he was already in bed, scrolling through his phone. He would find himself stealing glances to his surroundings, as if he expected something to be there. 

Weirdly, he was calm. No feeling that a ghost will appear in his mirror, or chase him into bed, or even grab his leg. He loved it. It was nice to know his apartment was ghost proof.


	2. At Wit's End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan's dissertation and Shane's confutation over a demon infestation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shamelessly writing my own Unsolved episode.  
> It's a bit lengthier than the first chapter, I hope that's okay.
> 
> Disclaimer: This story is fiction. If you can relate it to a real person, event or place... idk man, you've seen some shady shit.

After two weeks of burying himself in research of a murder house in south Missouri, Ryan cleared Shane's and TJ's schedules from Monday to Wednesday so they could go film there. He rushed into the BuzzFeed office on Friday, a stack of papers in his hands. He breathed heavily, excitement bubbling inside him as he approached Shane. The other man gave him a once over, raising an eyebrow at the bundle he carried. Ryan's hair was tousled, his glasses framed two shining eyes that seemed like they haven't seen sleep for some time. Stubble covered his worn out features but a grin adorned his face nevertheless. Ryan looked like a mess, a happy mess.

''Uh…'', Shane turned towards him in his chair, ''Did you win the lottery? You’re quitting and dumping all your work on me?''

''What?'' Ryan cocked his head to the side in confusion, ''No. I finished the case. We're going on Saturday morning.'' He smiled.

''Sorry to break it to you, buddy, but I have work on Monday. '' Shane gestured towards his computer.

''I cleared it. Just be in front of my house at 9AM.'' Ryan chirped happily and turned around to go find TJ and tell him the same.

Shane sighed and returned back to work. There was nothing that could stop this man when he set his mind to it so he wouldn't even try to negotiate.

 

~

 

Sunlight was muffled by thick wool of dark clouds moving over the horizon, turning the sky into a river of grey. Each tree they passed looked like the previous one until they blended completely in a haze. Droplets of rain thumped against metal and glass, their sound no longer a melody but now a part of the silence. It was as if nature was listening to him, trying to imitate how he felt.

''You think the house is still in one piece?'' Ryan Bergara had a knack for meddling with serenity.

Shane turned from the window he leaned against to face him, ''Maybe?''

''I don't know if I want it to be.'' Ryan gave his friend a side glance, ''It would be good to get shots of it, but going inside would be sort of a nightmare.'' He chuckled nervously.

Shane gave a lazy smile, ''Everything is a nightmare for you.''.

Ryan glared at him for a second before returning his eyes to the road, ''And you're so fearless, big guy.'' he grinned.

''More or less.'' Shane shrugged.

The other man let out a loud breathy laugh, ''You're an ass.''

 

 

The house was old but imposing. It stood two stories tall, washed over with light grey paint that darkened over the years. It's design was outdated and it almost looked out of place. The paint was peeling off the wooden frames of windows and there were marks in wooden panelling all over the front of the house. Surprisingly, all the windows were intact, no broken glass or busted hinges. A set of sagging wooden steps led to the front porch.

Ryan’s nerves were on edge from the moment he laid his eyes on the building. On the other hand, Shane couldn't seem more relaxed.  He opened the door and went in with ease. Ryan trailed behind him, looking as if was about to grab the hem of his jacket any second.

The house still had electricity, for some reason, but Ryan refused to turn on any of the lights for now. They went about their usual routine, going through the theory before inspecting the rooms on the ground floor then going upstairs and repeating the same.

TJ placed the camera near the front door, the frame captured the big corner staircase that went to the first floor and the vast emptiness of the hall with two open doors with darkness behind them. They positioned themselves at the centre of the frame, TJ directing them into perfect placement before giving them the signal to start.

Ryan looked around with wide eyes, tightly holding his water bottle with two hands before setting his gaze on Shane. He nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and Ryan took a breath before starting.

''Welcome to murder house.'' Ryan’s voice went deep and raspy.

Shane laughed, squeezing his eyes, ''I was not expecting that would be your first words.''

Ryan grinned, cockily glancing at him, ''I wasn't going to start by panicking if that's what you were thinking.''

''Oh, no. You started panicking before we even entered, that’s not it. '' Shane looked at him fondly.

Ryan rolled his eyes and chuckled, ''Well then, let’s get into the history.''

''The house was built at the start of 1800's and it served as a hotel during the following few decades. It was commissioned and run by a couple. They were in big debt since the construction took more than they calculated. The man was a doctor but even with that pay, it wasn’t enough to pay off the money they owed. So he resorted to use the basement to perform treatments and surgery during afterhours. There is a record of eight accidental deaths during the hotels run time. All of them were hotel residents at the time and each person was found in their room. During inspection, it was found that all eight were the owners patients but due to lack of any other connection or evidence the case was just closed.

''That's one _nasty_ doctor.'' Shane’s eyes widened to comical proportion.

''Wait – wait till you hear this.'' Ryan giggled, ''It was said that he had a love for surgery and would perform it even for smaller injuries that didn't necessarily require it.'

''Jesus! Imagine if you had a cold or something. You went to him because you were coughing and instead of recommending tea or some shit, one of your lungs just falls out. _'Oops, clumsy me. Better make it look like he fell in the shower'_ '' Shane wiggled his head dramatically, looking at the camera with a goofy expression.

Ryan broke into laughter and leaned backwards, placing a hand on his chest. Shane looked at him, chuckling, fond look in his eyes.

''You're awful.'' Ryan giggled.

Shane shrugged, closing his eyes, ''You love it.''

Ryan shook his head and looked down, a wide grin on his face, ''Let's continue.''

''The building was torn down at the start of 1900's and rebuilt to its current layout, however the basement stayed the same, it was only renewed. This is where it gets creepy. Not even a few years after being rebuilt, the person that lived here - ''

A squeaking noise came from upstairs.

''What was that? '' Ryan cut himself mid-sentence and looked up, a frightened expression on his face.

''Probably a rat.'' Shane’s voice was impassive, ''I think I know what you were about to say.'' he chuckled.

Ryan squinted his eyes at him, shaking his head slowly, before continuing.

''The person that lived here went crazy.''

Shane giggled in the background.

''They reported hearing noises, footsteps, and voices, some of which directly spoke to them, telling them what to do. Weird thing is, this person could name all the eight people who died here before, saying that they saw them, but they also mentioned a ninth person. So possibly someone else also died because of our doctor, or it could be something else...'' Ryan side glanced at Shane.

''Or they were just crazy.'' Shane simply stated.

''Wha – How do you explain them knowing all the names?'' Ryan went off, turning his head towards Shane, ''You couldn't exactly Google it back then.''

''Town records, newspapers, there's ways. Many ways, that are far more likely than this person hearing it from a _ghost_.'' Shane looked at the camera with bulging eyes.

Ryan stared to the side with a dead expression, his lips pressed in a line. The amount of bullshit this man could spout will always surprise him.

''And if you bought a house, you'd check up on its history. So it's not unlikely they really did go search.'' Shane still looked at the camera, he was only missing a coffee cup to sip from to put an end to his point.

''You done?'' Ryan deadpanned.

''I’m done, baby.'' Shane grinned.

''Twelve years later, this house was sold to a family with two children. The wife reported many strange occurrences all over the house like disembodied voices, cold spots, smashing windows and doors that opened and closed by themselves. She said that the basement door in particular would always open by itself. Their dog sometimes stood in it's doorway and barked. It never went downstairs and wouldn't allow for them to carry him down as well.''

''Even the dog was crazy.'' Shane chuckled.

''Actually, a few months after moving in, they found the dog in the basement. He died of a heart attack.''

Shane blinked a few times, the corners of his mouth quirking up, ''I think you might end up like this dog.''

''Oh, ha, ha. Yeah, make fun of me all you want. Both me and this dog know what’s good for us, unlike you. It wouldn't surprise me if you died during one of these. I'd just laugh while standing over your dead body and go _Told you so_.'' Ryan smirked.

''Woah.'' Shane winced, ''And I thought we were friends.''

''I'm not friends with dumb people.'' Ryan snickered.

''Well, I'm not friends with crazy people.’’ Shane looked at him.

''Great.'' Ryan grinned at him.

''Great.'' Shane's mouth curved into a smile.

A moment of silence passed between them as their eyes stayed trained on each other.

Ryan snapped his head towards the camera, still grinning, ''Let's continue.''

Shane smirked and nodded before looking at the camera as well.

''Their 4 year old daughter woke up most nights in tears, telling of a reoccurring nightmare about a faceless man that lived in their basement. At first, her father reassured her it was only a nightmare and that the bad man doesn’t exists, after which he started waking up with scratches over his arms. Soon after they moved out, claiming the house was possessed.''

Shane rolled his eyes at this, he was frequently irritated by the stupidity of Ryan’s stories but he enjoyed parts of them.

''From 1930's, up until 1950's, the house was vacant. It was listed at a very low price but no one wanted to buy it for obvious reasons. During this time there were a number of break ins but nothing was ever stolen. Later, in 1953, the house was bought by a man whose name I couldn't find anywhere in the records. It's like he's a ghost.''

Shane cocked his head and scrunched his face. That did seem unusual.

''And sometime from then, until 1960's, this is where cult gatherings happened. There is a reported rise of a cult in this area but they could never pinpoint their location. In 1963, the police got an anonymous tip on the cult gathering, and when they came here'' Ryan tilted his head to the side, ''They found a dead woman downstairs, in the basement.'' He looked towards the basement door, ''She had 9 cuts over her stomach, a puncture hole in her neck and several bruises all over her body, the most prominent one was around her neck suggesting she was choked. But after closer examination, the cause of death was declared to be blood loss.''

''Jesus…'' Shane's eyebrows rose as his eyes widened.

''Yeah… They never managed to explain how she died from blood loss when there was little to no blood present on the scene and before you ask no, she wasn’t moved there. They found her where she died. ''

''That’s… O-kay.'' Shane seemed puzzled.

''And surprisingly, the house was bought a few months later by Mary Joanne Willows, an American author who was working on a book about occult at the time. She openly said that she intended to live here for research purposes.''

''Would you ever buy a house like this?'' Shane looked at Ryan with a smirk.

''No! Jesus! That's crazy.'' Ryan turned to Shane, terror overtaking his face.

Shane shrugged, ''I think you'll do it when you become desperate enough. It's been three seasons and we still didn't see a ghost, so maybe soon.''

''Fuck you.'' Ryan chuckled, ''That's because you scare them away.''

Shane shook his head, looking to the side with a smirk.

''The last recorded death was actually that of Mary Joanne Willows in 1978.''

''Did she publish the book before dying?'' Shane's eyebrows rose questioningly.

''Yeah, she published it.'' Ryan nodded.

''Maybe the ghosts wanted payback for using them like that.'' Shane smirked at the camera.

Ryan giggled, ''Actually, she, um - she fell down the basement stairs.'' He pointed his flashlight to the basement door.

Shane doubled over in laughter.

Ryan chuckled, rolling his eyes, ''Yeah, okay.''

''That's it?'' Shane's eyes started to water.

''Yeah. After all that, the last person to die just fell down the stairs.''

''Poor lady.'' Shane rubbed his eye.

''Yeah.'' Ryan chuckled.

 

With the intro wrapped, they went upstairs.  A supply closet on the first floor used to be a bathroom in which one of the victims was found, so Shane locked himself in there for solid two minutes, then promptly pushed Ryan in and closed the door after him. Ryan’s senses were on high alert the whole time. His head snapped towards even the smallest sounds. Big frightened eyes searched over the darkness of each room they entered. Shane enjoyed the jumps and screams Ryan made whenever something caught him by surprise. He would laugh every time, looking at the quivering mess with fondness.

 

''Now basement and we can go.'' Ryan exclaimed excitedly, more for the fact they can go soon, less for the fact they had to visit the basement.

He stood in front of the wooden door that lead downstairs. A layer of brighter colour was visible under the chipped surface, two thick metal locks present on the door’s side.

''Why do I do this to myself? I could have been eating Chipotle at home.'' He said to himself as he grabbed the lever and pulled the heavy door towards himself.

A few downward steps were revealed, the rest of the staircase was engulfed in darkness. He turned on his flashlight, pointing it towards the seemingly never-ending path. The sight was frightening to begin with, nausea rose in his stomach as he remembered all the history that took place down there.

''You first, buddy.'' Shane said over his shoulder.

Ryan almost jumped, ''Jesus! Don't do th – Wait, what? I'm not going down there alone.'', he looked up at him with frightened eyes.

Shane chuckled, a soft smile on his face, ''I'll be right behind you.''

''Great.'' Ryan's lips pulled into a tight line and he turned around, ''I already hate this.'' he said as he took his steps with caution.

The wooden staircase creaked under his weight, looking as if it was about to give in. The uneasy feeling grew inside him, tightening in his chest with each step he took.

''If I die now, if something comes out and kills me, it's your fault.'' he turned around, half way down.

''There's a higher chance of you falling through than something jumping out. Just go.'' Shane's eyes wrinkled at the corners.

''Yeah, I'm going. I'm fucking going.'' Ryan turned and took the last few steps.

He froze as he reached the end, the basement finally coming into full view. Scent of must spread through damp air, particles of dust visibly flew around under the beam of his flashlights. Stacks of boxes and old furniture were placed along the side of the staircase.

''Holy fuck.'', he barely muttered.

A shiver ran down his spine, the hair on the back of his neck stood up and goosebumps rose on his skin. Every part of his body was screaming at him to run away, to flee upstairs, back to safety, and it took every bit of his strength to do the exact opposite.

''Someone, please come down here.'' Ryan's voice came out in a distressed pitch.

''I'm coming, I'm coming. Calm down.'' Shane replied, immediately going down the staircase, TJ following suit with the camera, ''Uh, I feel like these won't last much longer.'', the wood bent under their feet, screeching with each step they took.

Ryan could feel something was very out of place.

''Shut up, Shane.''

Shane ducked, chuckling at himself, ''Woah, almost.'', a wooden beam stuck out of the cement ceiling at the end of the staircase.

''Just shut up.''

''What?'' He looked at Ryan, a motionless figure he now stood next to.

He followed Ryan's petrified gaze, ''Oh... It's something, for sure. Straight out of a horror movie.'' he grinned.

In the centre of the room there was a circle painted onto the cracked cement floor, a pentagram in the middle of it, three heptagons around it, and different sigils that lined the circle's circumference. Cobwebs covered rusted metal shelfs placed along cold brick walls, each brick carved with a different symbol. The shelfs were mostly empty, a few dust-covered tools and boxes were on the ones near a heavyset metal table in the far end corner.

''I don't know if I really want to go further than this.'' Ryan said hesitantly, his muscles tensed at the mere thought of moving.

''Oh, come on.'' Shane walked towards the back of the room, inspecting the metal table and shelfs around it, ''I mean, yeah, it looks creepy, but there's nothing here.'' he turned around, his eyes sparkled.

The notch in his stomach untightened. Shane seemed too cheerful and too enthusiastic and his behaviour would usually grind Ryan’s gears but now it felt like a little bubble of comfort.

''I swear to God...'' Ryan chuckled, slouching a bit as he relaxed.

Shane walked over the room, his gaze focused on the carved brick walls.

''Do you know what these are?'' He asked while eyeing the symbols.

''Uh, th-those are... um...'' Ryan's voice was shaky, he eyed the room expecting something to happen at his following words, ''Sigils. Magic sigils.’’

But nothing did.

Shane chuckled, ''Magic sigils.''

Shane wavered for a second before running a finger over the brick, it crumbled to the touch, dust falling as he moved over it. And with that the comfort bubble popped, that jittery feeling settling down once again.

''Don't touch it!'' Ryan slapped his hand and Shane stepped away from the walls.

He raised an eyebrow at Ryan, ''Why not?''

Trying to explain how he felt right now would be like talking to a brick wall, ironically, so he opted out of a prolonged answer.

''Just don't.'' Ryan said through gritted teeth, ''Let's get over with this, please.''

''Yeah, sure.'' Shane's voice went soft.

Sometimes Ryan didn’t need to define how he felt because Shane already knew.

 

 

They both stood near the centre of the room, Ryan refusing to stand on or even close to the not-so-pentagram pentagram. TJ placed a camera in front of them, capturing the view of the whole room while still keeping them in focus. Another camera stood in the corner near the metal table to get a good back shot of everything. He stopped for a second before signalling the two men with a thumbs up.

''Okay, talk me through it.'' Shane said, looking at Ryan with full concentration.

''Well, as I said before...'' Ryan looked to the side, inspecting the room, feeling as if something will appear at any second, ''this is where many deaths occurred and then later the rituals. Seances, if you will.''

''Okay, but why does this room look like this? Did that lady do some _magic_?'' Shane wiggled his eyebrows.

''No, or at least not that I know of. She said in her book that she never tried it herself.'' Ryan explained.

''But who trusts a person that bought a murder house.''

''Yeah,'' Ryan chuckled, ''I guess. What you see now is how it looked since '53.''

''You said those are magic sigils?’’ Shane pointed at the wall.

''They're not really magic, they're just used for rituals. The sigils that are carved into those bricks are from a specific set, there's 72 to be exact. They're from -''

''Did someone actually count them?'' Shane's brows furrowed.

''Yeah, Marry Joanne did.''

''Of course.'' Shane wasn't surprised, the lady seemed like a fanatic.

''Some repeat, but it's 72 overall.'' Ryan replied and Shane just grunted in understanding, ''Anyway, the sigils on the brick are commonly used in satanic rituals.''

Shane briefly looked around the room before returning his gaze to Ryan who was now pointing to the circle.

''That is not really a pentagram. It's a different symbol and it's actually used in Enochian. That's like angelic language and magic. So, I'm guessing whatever was going on here, someone tried to reverse it. Due to all the deaths that occurred, and the cult taking place here, it’s highly likely that not only ghosts but also other entities like demons could reside within these walls''

 ''Yeah...'' Shane rolled his eyes, ''I don't know.''

Ryan looked at him in disbelief, ''Are you seriously having none of this?''

''Sure, some bad stuff happened here and it looks _creepy_.'' he turned to his side, his eyes stopping at the wall behind him, ''But if we put a sofa here. We could get a really big TV on top of Sigil-what not, maybe some Christmas lights over the shelfs. It could be a rave!''

His gaze trailed back to Ryan only to see the other man whip his head back in laughter.

''Christmas lights -'' he wheezed, ''I can't believe you.''

''Yeah, well.'' Shane shrugged, ''I'm a fun guy, ghosts would love it down here with me.'' he winked at the camera.

Ryan shook his head lightly, his lips pressed into a tight smile as he looked at Shane with warm eyes.

''Batteries.'' TJ’s voice suddenly came from behind the camera and he turned on the lights.

''Oh, fuck. Almost forgot.'' Ryan somewhat hurriedly walked over to the bag filled with equipment that was placed on the floor next to TJ.

He opened the bag and took out packages of batteries, handing them over to TJ and Shane. Lack of casual banter made him realize how quiet it was without his and Shane's constant bickering. The lights provided clear visual of the basement, which gave him some comfort, but it didn't lessen the uncomfortable feeling he had while being there. Cold was beginning to creep under his jacket and he shivered.

''Ry, try placing the audio down there.'' Shane pointed at one of the shelfs at the back.

''Okay.'' he walked towards the shelfs and carefully put down the audio recorded, checking it's status, ''Now we need some evidence and we can go.'' he smiled sheepishly.

Shane smirked, ''Well then… Time for lock up.''

Ryan's head snapped towards him, his eyes bulged out, ''What? No, no, no...'', he broke into a smile, chuckling hopelessly.

Shane just nodded, a mischievous smile spread across his face, as he slowly backed up towards the stairs.

Ryan's face went completely dead, a murderous look in his eyes pointed directly at Shane. The other man shrugged, pulling a lazy half smile.

''I'll fucking -'' Ryan rushed towards him from across the room.

Shane laughed, going up the stairs two at a time, ''One minute.''

Ryan looked at him from the bottom of the staircase, his eyes filled with fire, his breathing heavy, ''Don't.''

''One minute.'' Shane repeated, chuckling to himself as he closed the heavy wooden door.

Ryan stared after him as the door closed. A few seconds passed before he even dared to move.

''Shit...'' he said quietly and gulped, walking towards the nearest empty wall.

The main light went out. He pointed his flashlight to the centre of the room, it didn't even give enough light to illuminate the whole area.

''Ah, okay... Okay... Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.'' his back was against the wall, flashlight clutched in one of his hands, and the water bottle in the other.

''You need to turn your light off.'' Shane yelled from upstairs.

''What?! I thought you were already counting!'' Ryan shouted at him, the rubber of the flashlight stuck to his skin as he tightened his grip on it, the plastic of the bottle crackled under the pressure.

''Turn it off! Thirty seconds from then.''

Ryan squeezed his eyes shut, ''Fuck...'', and the last light was off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this thing! I'll try to update soon.  
> If you saw any mistakes and wouldn't mind taking a few seconds to tell me so I can correct them, I'd be grateful. Sometimes the proof read misses things and Word is a bitch when it comes to detecting grammar mistakes.


	3. The Devil Is In The Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of unfortunate events might make Shane into a believer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for the amount of time it took me to post this chapter. I was caught up in studying, essays, and mock exams (which are unfortunately still not over) and it kinda ate up all my time and energy.  
> Hopefully you like this chapter and the development of events! I have a lot in store.  
> As always, feedback is extremely highly appreciated.

Ryan went weak in the knees, letting his body drag over the hard brick wall until he was sitting on the cold cement, his face closed in a grimace. The 'mantra' repeated over and over in his head but he wouldn't dare to open his eyes. There was a harsh tightness in his chest and stomach that spread to his muscles, fear literally taking hold of him.  

''Fuck. What?'' he went pale as his eyes darted towards the darkness. 

Faint thuds came from the old wooden stairs that led upstairs, to safety, to Shane. He squeezed his eyes shut, choked tears burned at the back of his throat. 

''Please tell me that's you, Shane.'' His muscles clenched in anticipation as he whispered. 

It was obvious that whatever those sounds were, whatever made them, most definitely was not Shane. But he hoped and he held onto that hope as if his life depended on it.  

The darkness creeped around him. He could feel it, whatever it was, he could feel its presence. It was a calm and sensual movement the darkness made, like a tiger that stalks its prey moves with grace and precision to not frighten its mark. But Ryan was already afraid, so afraid. His heart raced, the rhythm of blood throbbed in his temple, his palms were covered in sweat and his muscles ached from how hard he clenched them. What kept him in one piece was the thought of capturing evidence but even his undying will for discovering the truth was faltering. 

Ryan shivered as he suddenly felt cold air wrap around him like a chill winter breeze but the sensation went away as soon as it came. 

''Oh God, please.'' he lifted his head and rested it against the wall, ''Just let this be over.'' 

But it was over, it should have been over. Thirty seconds must have passed by now, why was Shane not down there already? 

''Shane?'' Ryan almost cried out, trying his best to raise his voice enough to be heard from upstairs. 

Something grated against the concrete floor from the back of the room. What he feared most now was opening his eyes and turning the light on. The fear of knowing was stronger than that of the unknown. 

''Shane! TJ? Someone?'' his voice trailed off, fading with each word until it was barely a whisper. 

A tap against metal echoed through the room. Ryan's body tensed and he shook his head, it wasn't real. Then another one. It wasn't real. And another one. It couldn't have been real. 

Ryan turned on his flashlight with hesitation, then slowly opened one eye, following with the other as well. His chest was tight and his breathing hurried as his eyes darted over the illuminated area but there was a sigh of relief in him seeing that there was nothing there. He pointed the light towards the back where the metal table was and instantly his stomach tightened and he gagged, turning the flashlight immediately off. 

''Fuck, fuck, fuck.'' he leaned against the wall and squeezed his eyes tightly as his face contorted into a grimace of utter fear and sickness, a few tears escaping him. 

Countless whispers came from each side of the room, filling his ears like he was submerged into water until it was the only sound he could recognize. The overlapping voices turned into white noise as he felt a sharp pressure against his chest. His body reacted automatically and shifted backwards until his back was flush against the wall. His heart beat at an alarming rate, his head went dizzy and his vision started to blur, nausea barely settled down but his stomach was turning again. He wanted to disappear, to run away, but there was nowhere to go. There was nothing around him except blinding darkness. The light pressure against his chest rose, focused into a single point perfectly aligned with his heart. As a tip of a blade would pierce trough tender skin so did the pain tear through his chest, but it was so much more. 

Ryan doubled over in pure agony and screamed, his hands tightly pressed against his chest in hope to soothe out the pain but it was more than a human body should ever bare. He clawed at his own chest, his scream raw, the one of a person whose soul is going through anguish and torment. 

''Ryan?!'' Shane panicked, looking disorientated and confused as his eyes settled down onto Ryan's hunched figure, ''Ryan!'' he yelled, dropping to his knees in front of his friend and placing his hands on Ryan's shoulders.

Ryan's screaming died out under Shane's touch and he was left a quivering mess, his breathing shallow and hurried.

''Are you okay?!'' Shane's voice was laced with concern, ''What's going on?'' he realized he needed to calm down in order to help Ryan right now.

Ryan's body remained unmoved, he could barely tell if he was breathing from the complete lack of motion that settled in. He scooted closer, holding Ryan by the arm and rubbing soothing circles into worn out muscles.

''Hey, Ry.'' Shane's voice was soft and calming, ''It's okay, you're okay.'' he lowered his voice and hunched over, trying to see Ryan's face that was hidden under his chest, unsure if he was saying this to convince himself or Ryan, ''C'mon buddy, look at me.''

Ryan tried to move but his body was void of all strength, Shane thankfully caught on and put an arm around him, helping him to sit up. The moment their eyes met, Shane saw the emptiness behind Ryan's. His usually warm eyes were frozen over like a surface of a lake in winter. His gaze stayed trained on Shane and the look in his eyes shattered like glass, filling with hurt and fear as tear started to well up. 

Shane gave a half-hearted smile and patted his shoulder, ''Let's get you out of here.'' 

Ryan gave a barely existent nod and Shane grabbed him under his arm, helping him stand up. The burn in his chest was gone but it left an ache. It was not just a physical ache that made him wince as they climbed the stairs, Shane slowly but surely guiding him, but there was a deeper ache inside him. As if there was something tenderly gnawing at his soul, like a lost thought you dearly held onto that is still there but out of your minds reach. 

 

Shane was full of understanding and patience, giving Ryan whatever time he needed to calm down and collect himself. The gaze he gave towards Ryan was full of emotion and sympathy which gave Ryan comfort. Knowing he didn't make a fool of himself and that Shane didn't think he was overreacting over a gust of wind gave him all the comfort he needed right now. What he couldn't see was the way Shane's face would drop when he turned away, how his jaw would clench and his eyes would stay trained onto a single spot while he slowly packed up their equipment. 

''Hey-'' TJ nudged him, ''You okay?'' 

Shane was brought back from his thoughts and realized he was standing frozen like a statue over the camera bag, ''Yeah, I'm fine.'' he quickly pulled a half-smile, ''How's Ryan?'' 

''I left him in the car-'' TJ pulled the bag towards himself, stuffing a camera lens inside it, ''Told him I'll go help you get all the equipment so we can go. He still isn't big on talking.'' 

Shane pulled his lips into a tight line and nodded, focusing back on zipping the bag up. 

''What happened anyway?'' TJ asked cautiously. 

Shane ran a hand down his face and sighed, ''I have no clue. I just- I don't know.'' he looked at TJ who was now holding the bag over his shoulder. 

''I think he might have had a panic attack. We never saw him like this.'' TJ said in a soft tone. 

Shane groaned in frustration, ''I can't believe I made him do lock up. I thought he could handle it. I believe he could-'' he stopped talking before his voice could break from the turmoil of emotions inside him. 

''Hey, man. It's not your fault.'' TJ patted Shane on the shoulder before giving it a squeeze, ''You couldn't have known he'd have such a strong reaction. Hell, even I expect he would scream a bit but I never thought it would go like this.'' 

''Yeah. Thanks.'' Shane tried to smile but it resonated in sadness, ''Let's just go.'' 

TJ nodded and pulled the bag higher up his shoulder before they both left the basement. 

 

The ride back to the motel was awfully quiet. Sound or tires against asphalt and wind brushing over the frame of the car as they drove towards the city became a monotonous constant. Shane nervously tapped on the steering wheel but stopped as soon as he caught on the tick, he didn't want to seem too bothered when Ryan was right next to him probably still freaking out on the inside. He looked over to Ryan to examine his current state, hoping it was at least somewhat calm. 

Ryan was leaned against the window. A light grey hoodie was wrapped under his head to support it and prevent it from all the bumping from the drive. He was looking down at his hands which he nervously shuffled around, his thumbs running up and down his skin. 

Whatever was on his mind, he didn't share. Not even when they went to their rooms at the motel. Not even when Shane left Ryan's stuff in his room and asked if he needed anything else before he left. Not even when he heard faint sounds of crying as he tried to fall asleep. But Shane didn't share what was on his mind either, how could he. 

 

It was around 2 am when he heard a knock on his door, a small voice following it ''Are you asleep?'' 

Shane grumbled incoherently, ''Wrong door.'' he mumbled and turned over, choosing to ignore whoever was in front of his door. 

''Shane?'' he could clearly hear it was Ryan. 

He got out of bed and stumbled over to the door, rubbing his face as he opened it. Ryan just stood there in sweatpants and a grey shirt that hugged his frame perfectly, he looked so small. 

Ryan looked up at Shane with wide eyes, ''Did I wake you up?'' he didn't wait for a response, Shane's face was a dead giveaway, ''I'm sorry. I'll just go.'' and with that he turned to leave. 

Shane grabbed him by the wrist, ''It's fine. What's wrong?'' 

Ryan stopped in his track and turned around, Shane's hand falling from his as soon as they made eye contact. He shrugged and looked inside Shane's room, as if he was searching for something. 

''Come in.'' Shane stepped aside, still holding the door. 

Ryan nodded and walked inside, his eyes downcast. Shane closed the door behind him and went to the bathroom to fetch a glass of water. He looked at his reflection in the mirror as running water became a sound too loud in the complete silence of the night. His chest was tight from anticipation of Ryan's words. He didn't dare to say he was scared but he was very close to it. With a sigh to quell his racing thoughts about all the scenarios that could play out once he returns, he closed the water and went back to the bedroom. 

''You're a dick.'' Ryan's voice was too soft for the words that came out. 

Shane sighed in relief and smiled walking over to Ryan's figure that stood next to the window, looking out, ''Well, we already know that.'' 

But there was a reason Ryan sounded so small, ''I thought I was going to die.'' Ryan's s voice broke and his body visibly tensed. 

Shane's smile disappeared and his gaze trailed down.  _I'm sorry._  

''I called you, where were you?'' Ryan's tone walked the line between anger and sadness. 

Shane opened his mouth but there was nothing he could say.  _Please forgive me._  Ryan turned towards him, his eyes glowing under the dim lighting from the tears that welled up inside them, his chest rising and falling in a slow but unsteady rhythm. 

''It was so dark.'' Ryan stopped for a second, ''I-'' his voice shook, ''I was so scared.'' he said quietly to steady himself. 

Something inside Shane stirred and he could sense the faint sensation of the feeling he had when he heard Ryan scream, the uneasiness at which his body automatically responded, ''I'm sorry, Ry.'' 

Ryan looked like he was ready to throw a punch. He raised his hand half way, fist clenched tightly, but he swung it at Shane with little force. His fist lightly bumped against Shane's chest as he broke into a sob, Shane's breath hitching in his throat. 

''Don't-don't leave me like that again.'' Ryan whispered through choked tears, his forehead falling to lightly rest against Shane's chest. 

He looked down at the whimpering mess that was left of Ryan but his hands remained at his sides, the glass of water gripped dangerously tight in his left hand. 

A moment of silence passed between them before Ryan broke it with a gentle voice, 'I'm just glad you came, asshole.'' 

Shane relaxed, letting out a breath he was well aware of he was holding in. A lazy smile tugged at the corners or his mouth and warmth returned to his body, radiating from where Ryan was leaned against him. 

 

 

~ 

 

 

''He almost died and you didn't even hug him?!'' Sara yelled out, placing the cup of coffee she was holding tightly between her hands down on the small coffee table next to her. 

''That's beside the point, Sara.'' Shane retorted, standing next to the TV located across from the couch on which Sara was sitting. 

''No, no-'' She waved her hand through the air, ''It's right on the point.'' pointing a finger at him. 

Shane sighed, closing his eyes ''The point is-'' he looked at her, ''How the fuck did that happen?!'' he ran a nervous hand over his face, sliding it up into his hair, the other resting on his hip. 

''It's not impossible.'' Sara shrugged, pulling a face. 

Shane closed his eyes, a sarcastic smile on his face, ''No. It is very impossible.'' 

Sara shrugged yet again as she grabbed the cup of coffee from the table and took a sip. 

''I got fucking teleported to him.'' 

She rested the cup against her bottom lip, looking quizzically to the side, followed by a few seconds of silence, ''Yeah, okay. That is weird.'' 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> The next chapter will be up in two to three days, maybe sooner, since I'd like to apologize for the previous semi-hiatus with an _almost_ double update. So please look forward to that!


	4. The Eleventh Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teleportation, summoning rituals, Shane losing his mind. We got it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ''The next chapter will be up in two to three days'' said I, and here we are. Sorry for the overly long wait! I managed to run into a major writing block, but here we are finally.  
> Hopefully you like this chapter and the development of events, the story is finally starting to unravel.  
> As always, feedback is extremely highly appreciated.

''Maybe ask him what happened? You know, talk to him- like a normal human?'' Sara's tone was playful and sarcastic at the same time. 

''Oh ha, ha. Because talking about this is so easy, right?'' Shane retorted with sarcasm as well, then paused for a few long seconds, ''If I mention this, if I in any way say this was a possibility, it will ruin everything. I can't be the skeptic anymore...'' his voice was barely over a whisper, ''How did it even happen...'' 

Sara let out a breath, looking up at Shane's emotionless expression as his eyes stayed trained on something through the window, ''Ask the ghost.'' 

Shane's head slowly turned towards her, his vision visibly coming back into focus until he was staring right at her. 

''I'm in middle of a mental breakdown and you- '' he took a deep breath to steady himself- ''You tell me to ask the ghost.'' he nodded in mock understanding of the logic behind this proposal. 

She rose her eyebrows and took a long sip of her coffee. 

Shane shook his head, ''We hang out too much and I don't even know why. You're crazy.'' he blurted out as he walked over to the door. 

''I don't know either. You knew today is a new episode and you still marched in like you own the place.'' Sara narrowed her eyes at him as he walked across the room. 

''I do own the place!'' Shane rose his tone in irritation and closed the door behind himself, ''This is my apartment!- You're the one rooming!'' he kept shouting as he walked away, his voice becoming muffled and distant. 

 _Bastard._ She snickered, a big smile on her face. 

''I can still hear you!'' he yelled. 

With a shake of his head, the tug of a smile on Shane's lips was gone and he was once again lost in his thoughts.  

 

 

 _Three_ _days later_  

 

Shane barged into Sara's room without warning, ''I can't take this anymore!'' he said in a raised tone. 

Sara jumped in her chair, almost knocking over a pencil stand full of coloured pencils, ''Jesus.'' she gently placed the stand back in place. 

''I don't know what to do!'' he walked over to her, desperation clear on his face. 

''Look who came crawling back...'' Sara spun in her chair until she was facing him, her legs and arms crossed. 

''It happened again!'' Shane was rattled to the core, unable to calm his voice. 

He started pacing up and down the room. Sara placed an elbow on her desk and leaned her head on her arm, sighing at the sight of her friend. 

''Today, just before lunch, I was at the office,'' 

 _Shane walked over the office rooms, a cup of tea in one hand and a bundle of papers in the other. He hummed a melody a_ _s he made his way_ _to the printer, then_ _chucked the papers in and pressed a button._  

''-chilling as I copied some paperwork, having a cup of tea while I waited,'' 

 _He_ _leaned on the machine, taking a sip of his fresh_ _ly_ _made cup of tea. As he scanned around the room_ _his eyes fell to Devon who was carrying a cupcake with a single candle placed in it. She was walking towards Ryan_ _and_ _although_ _it might seem like it was for a birthday, it was most definitely not Ryan's birthday_ _, but Shane couldn't pinpoint the_ _occasion_ _. Ryan seemed thrilled with the cake._ _Shane let out a_ _chuckle, his lips pressed into a half smile_ _while_ _his eyes gave out_ _on the warm feeling that spread through him any time he saw Ryan this happy._ _The l_ _eft_ _corner of Ryan's_ _mouth always smiled before the other and stayed higher up until he_ _flashed a bright_ _grin._ _H_ _is left eye always squeezed a bit more than the other but it was such a slight movement Shane didn't even know how he picked up on it,_ _but it_ _explains why Ryan_ _can only wink with his left eye. Ryan's eyes seemed to shine as he looked at the glaze of the cupcake, the left corner of his mouth twitching even higher up. He leaned back and started to take a deep breath, his mouth taking the shape of an O, before blowing out the candle_ _at what h_ _is cheeks puffed, looking positively squishable. Shane cleared his_ _throat_ _and_ _turned to the machine,_ _checking_ _the state of the printing_ _, then took a long sip of his tea._  

''-when all of a sudden ZAP and I was spitting my drink all over my desk, standing behind Ryan who was eating a fucking cupcake and looking way too happy for someone who just bit off a head of a small glazed sugar bear.'' Shane was standing in the middle of the room, out of breath from pacing and talking too fast. 

Sara blinked, once, then twice, she was looking up at Shane with her lips pressed tightly together, ''Why do you know so much about the anatomy of Ryan's face?'' 

''What?'' Shane squinted at her and let out a shaky breath as if he just ran a marathon. 

''Why do you- Never mind.'' She smiled to herself, ''Are you sure you didn't just walk over?'' 

''I'm pretty damn sure, Sara. I think I'd remember walking over half of the office.'' Shane let out a breath in frustration. 

She shrugged and turned back to her desk, ''Seems like you should  _talk to him_.'' 

Shane's expression was the one of a person that just mentally key smashed. 

''I know it's not easy for you but imagine how it must be for Ryan.'' she took a glance towards Shane, catching on as the features of his face sunk, ''He not only experienced something he doesn't understand but it was also something that he fears the most.'' 

Shane sat down on the edge of Sara's bed, his eyes downcast, ''We didn't talk outside of work since then. I mean, just the bare minimum so it doesn't seem too weird. I tried asking him if he wanted to go for a bite or something but he just said he's busy with something. I'm guessing he buried himself in work.'' he sighed. 

Sara got up from her desk and went out of the room, Shane's eyes trailed after her. He could hear her footsteps go to the living room and slowly become louder as she returned. She stood in front of him, her hand outstretched towards him, his phone on top of her palm. Shane looked up at her and lightly nodded, taking the phone from her hands. Sara paced back to her desk and sat down, going back to her drawings, leaving Shane next to her but stuck in his own universe. 

The device in his hands suddenly seemed unfamiliar and cold, he had a hard time figuring out what to do with it. He stared at the black screen, lost in thought. 

Shane jumped as the device buzzed and the screen lit up. A new message popped up and he clicked on it. 

Sara: Go contemplate life in your own room 

''Fine, fine. I'm leaving.'' He got up and walked out, closing the door after himself. 

''Love you! Tell me how it goes!'' She said as he left. 

 

Half an hour passed, then a whole hour, then almost two. Shane was still sat on the sofa in the living room, his phone on the coffee table in front of him. He glared at it as if it was a deadly enemy- it sure seemed like one. 

''For fucks sake, I could run a whole country but I can't send a single text. Bullshit.'' He reached for the phone and hastily unlocked it. 

He typed out a single word and ended with a question mark, it seemed like too much but not enough at the same time. He should say more, right? Shane went to delete the message but instead sent it. 

Long Legs: Movie? 

He rolled his eyes and groaned at his stupidity. Thankfully, a reply came only a few seconds after. 

Ry Guy: Can't, sorry. Working. 

Shane cleared his throat, ''Right...'' 

Long Legs: What are you working on? Need any help? 

He anxiously tapped the phone against his knee until Ryan replied again. 

Ry Guy: Nah, it's cool. Thanks anyway. 

Shane wanted to throw the damn phone over his head. 

Long Legs: Okay. Let me know if anything comes up. 

Ry Guy: Will do. Night. 

Shane looked at the digits in the top right corner, ''Oh damn, it's already 10 pm.'' 

Long Legs: Night 

''Welp, that went amazing.'' he threw the phone onto the coffee table and got up, scrunching his face in annoyance. 

He sighed, looking over the room for something to occupy his mind. Sleep was already a distant concept, after this Shane was sure he wouldn't be going to bed any time soon. Instead of rolling around and overthinking he decided to make a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie or two. 

Sara joined him during the first few hours. They watched some fantasy movie they picked on random from Netflix but as it finished Sara left, throwing a quick 'goodnight' and 'don't stay up too late'. Shane gave a 'goodnight' back followed with a 'yeah' muffled by a mouthful of popcorn that was left in the bowl. He picked another movie on random and kept watching, already feeling annoyed at his soon to be empty bowl. 

 

 

 _Few hours earlier_ _, Casa de Bergara_  

 

Ryan's room looked like the one of a college student. Clothes were thrown all over the floor, books and papers everywhere you turned, and boxes of leftover takeout decorated most tables and shelfs. The air was stuffy, the curtains were drawn together, leaving the room illuminated by a lonesome lamp on a nightstand and with no connection to the outside world.  

''Ha! Found you, you bastard.'' Ryan exclaimed with both excitement and annoyance as he reached under his bed. 

His fingers trailed over the spine of a book he was looking for that somehow ended up halfway under his bed. With a sigh, he ducked further down, extending his arm and getting a better clutch on the leather binding. The book dragged its weight over the floor until it was finally in Ryan's firm hold. He blew on it and dusted it off with his hand. 

The book's cover was harder than the one of a paperback but not firm enough to be a hard-cover. No title was written on its front while the back was completely empty, the only markings of the nature of its content being a pentagram engraved on its front and a golden incision in shape of a snake on its spine. 

''Ominous as always...'' Ryan muttered as he stood up, placing the book under his arm, ''Now where the fuck is my pouch?'' he scanned over the room, trying to locate a small bag in the sea of his own clothes and trash. 

''Pouch?'' he called out for it, stepping over hurdles of shirts and pants, ''Pouch.'' his tone was the one of a parent calling for a child to be scolded, ''Pouch!'' he finally exclaimed with excitement. 

Ryan's eyes lit up as he lifted a stack of papers from his desk, revealing a brown pouch underneath them. He picked it up carefully, as if delicate treasures laid inside it, and walked towards the living room. The pouch and the book were dropped off in the middle of the floor before he went towards the kitchen, walking back into the living room with a handful of candles and a small tin box. 

''Right...'' Ryan eyed the things splayed out on the floor in front of him, questioning the life choices that led to this moment. 

He kneeled down, opening the book to a page marked with a post it note. The page was covered with a drawing of an elaborate pentagram surrounded by a circle and a set of marking, the post it note had a list of herbs and plants written over it. Ryan detached the note from the page and let it rest next to the book while he memorized the layout of the drawing. He opened the tin box and with a shaky hand took some of the white powder that was inside it. The powder sat in his hand for a few seconds, his eyes wary. 

''I'll-'' he took a breath, ''I'll fucking Bob Ross this shit.'' 

He gripped the powder in his hand and leaned across the book, letting the powder flow down his palm and onto the wooden floor. After what seemed like ages of trying to make a shape that seemed like a perfect circle, there was in fact a white circle painted in front of him, a pentagram inside it and four different marks crossing its borders, just like on the drawing. He felt proud after examining the drawing once more and confirming he did a good job on replicating the foreign shapes. 

''Now the smelly shit.'' Ryan opened the pouch and delivered half of its content into the middle of the pentagram, ''Uh...'' he stood up, hastily walking towards the kitchen and rummaging through his cupboards in search of a small bowl. 

The phone in his right front pocket buzzed and with a roll of his eyes he stopped his search and fished the device out, unlocking it with a swift motion. 

Long Legs: Movie? 

The sight of Shane's message made him soften. His tense posture loosened up a bit and his thoughts felt more grounded, but there was a nagging ache inside him. 

Ry Guy: Can't, sorry. Working. 

Long Legs: What are you working on? Need any help? 

He chuckled, knowing all too well how Shane would react to any of the things he was doing for the past few days. 

Ry Guy: Nah, it's cool. Thanks anyway. 

Long Legs: Okay. Let me know if anything comes up. 

Ryan's lips tugged at the edges into a sad smile, ''Sorry, big guy.'' 

Ry Guy: Will do. Night. 

Long Legs: Night 

He dropped the phone back into his pocket and took the bowl he came for, going back to his  _witchcraft_. Ryan shivered, that was a bad word, he didn't like that word. He went back to his- urban exploring of ancient rituals? He shook his head, anything sounded better than witchcraft. 

It has been three days since the weird incident at that house and ever since Ryan felt uneasy. He felt like he was missing something, he  _knew_  there was more to everything that happened. He buried himself in research, going through every known lore he could to find out what happened to him but after countless hours of work he ended up with nothing. 

Despair. Complete and utter despair lead Ryan to the stupid idea that he could maybe try and summon something, that it, whatever it may be, could potentially explain his situation. Of course, that was a blind swing in the dark since Ryan had no idea how to summon anything but Shane and his stone-cold skepticism after every time he even uttered the word ''ghost''. 

It was nearing 11 pm, the time at which Ryan decided to do the ritual. After some research he realized that 3 am wasn't the only time when you could perform stuff like this, which came as a blessing because he wasn't sure he could do it at such an hour considering everything that happened. 

The circle was set, the smelly herbs were placed in a bowl at the centre of it, as they should have been the first time around. Candles lined the edges of the circle and Ryan lit them one by one. He picked up the post it note and turned it around, starting to read the incoherent words written on it. 

As he neared the end of the incantation he lit a match, holding it next to himself. His eyes scanned left and right while he finished the last lines. He threw the match into the bowl, setting fire to the herbs inside it and creating a small smoke cloud that soon dissolved into the air around him. 

Ryan's heart started to pound at the sudden realization of what exactly he has done. Shivers ran through his whole body and he quickly got up, examining the room. But there was nothing there. Only him, a few lit candles, and aroma of burnt herbs shuffling through the air, yet his body was on edge. His muscles tensed, his hands balling into fists, an unsettling feeling rose in his stomach. But nothing happened. 

He sat back down with a sigh and picked up the note, rereading the incantation, mouthing it as he read. He hummed approvingly, settled with the knowledge that he did in fact read it right and this wasn't the problem. The drawing on the floor was most definitely a copy of the one in the book, so that wasn't the problem either. 

''And so- we wait, I guess...'' he said as he laid down on the floor. 

 

~ 

 

Ryan took a look at the watch on his left hand, reading it was little after 2 am. With a grunt he sat up, leaning his head to the side to stretch his aching neck. 

''Great. Amazing.'' he mumbled to himself as he closed the book, starting to clean up the leftover things from the ritual, ''I'm a compete idiot.'' he threw the book to the side, leaning over the circle to blow out the candles. 

Ryan puffed his cheeks and extinguished the candle with annoyance, leaning towards the second one. He breathed in, ready to blow out the candle when the flames of each candle extinguished as if a gust of strong wind suddenly went by them, leaving Ryan in pitch-black darkness of the early morning hours. 

His body froze in place, his eyes growing as his face contracted into a grimace of panic and fear. He could feel his stomach turn, tears already welling up in his eyes. The room felt warmer than before giving Ryan's body a false sense of comfort as his mind raced over all he possible ways he might die right now. 

Ryan took a deep breath, expecting to feel the stench of burnt herbs, yet his nostrils were filled with a smell of... 

 

 

 _Quarter_ _to 2,_ _Madej's_ _Crib_  

 

Well into his second episode of Stranger Things Shane was debating whether he should go sleep or not. He wasn't feeling particularly sleepy, yet he knew if he tried to fall asleep it will end in him being back up and doing one thing or the other. He wished he could just blame it on insomnia but he knew that wasn't the case. 

With a sigh he paused the episode and got up, grabbing the empty bowl from the table and going to the kitchen. As he opened a drawer where he usually stashed his popcorn, he realized it was the last package left. His heart ached a bit but he opened the bag anyway and threw it into the microwave. 

''So long, buddy.'' he said while setting the timer. 

 

After the agonizingly long two minutes the popcorn was finally done. Shane opened the microwave and shook the content of the bag into his bowl. 

''Hell yeah.'' With a satisfied smirk he reached for a handful of the freshly baked goods, chucking it all into his mouth. 

The room went dark, it's temperature dropping a bit. The feeling of cold tile under his feet was replaced by wood, and the smell of fresh popcorn suddenly mixed with something awfully smelly. 

''Popcorn?!'' Ryan's voice came from behind him. 

Shane's eyes went wide, his body freezing in place. He slowly turned his head, Ryan's living room coming into view with Ryan standing a few feet away with his back turned towards him. 

His voice was muffled by the sound of popcorn crushing under his teeth as he barely spoke '' _Shit._ '' 

Shane hastily opened the door in front of him and rushed through. Ryan immediately turned around, barely catching the glimpse of the door as it clicked shut. He practically jumped towards the door, slamming it open, only to be greeted by the darkness of an empty closet. 

 

Shane stood in the hallway of his home, his back leaned against his front door. The sound of blood gushing through his veins filled his hearing as his heart raced. 

He panted, whispering to himself ''I guess this is how Ryan feels when he sees a ghost.'' 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> If you saw any mistakes and wouldn't mind taking a few seconds to tell me so I can correct them, I'd highly appreciate it.


End file.
